Schreiner ProTech, a Germany-based global developer and manufacturer of functional labels with value-added benefits for the automotive and engineering-based industries, has developed a label with a paint mask attachment that protects the inscriptions of marked components during painting. The product was recently selected by InLine Hydraulik GmbH for preserving the readability of markings applied to regulators and hydraulic pumps.

When individually marked components are painted, the inscription’s legibility must be protected. Schreiner ProTech’s product attaches a paint mask to the marking label. Following the inscription of a standard 2D identification code, the masking effect is initiatied by means of a folding mechanism.

Previously, InLine Hydraulik had utilized metal nameplates to mark components at the end of the production process – a limitation that precluded the automated integration of digital information for storage or traceability purposes. Now, the new folding paint mask labels from Schreiner ProTech are imprinted with 2D codes on-site, then manually applied to pumps and regulators early in the production process.

After painting, the paint mask is peeled off, with the code’s readability reliably preserved. As a result, InLine Hydraulik was able to introduce 2D code marking for an optimized manufacturing process that, among other benefits, allows for automated traceability.

Schreiner ProTech’s paint mask product offers the additional option of combining a removable paint mask label with durable overlamination that permanently protects underlying nameplates against mechanical stress. After the paint drying process, the protective label is peeled off using a starter tab. This ensures easy handling even when working with gloves. The paint mask itself is slightly smaller than the marking label, which helps the label remain embedded in the paint after removal of the paint mask film for permanent marking protection.